LADHA: Military helicopters and artillery attacked militants’ hideouts in the mountainous Bobar area of South Waziristan tribal region on Monday where a day earlier three security personnel, including an army officer, had been killed in a bomb blast.

According to tribal people and Taliban sources, three helicopters carried out the attack on the hideouts from 3 to 4pm.

However, security forces did not confirm the attack till late Monday night.

Sources said security forces also used artillery to shell the area from Mirali and Sara Rogha camps at 6pm. No casualty was reported from the remote area where the media has no access.

Tribal people said several hideouts had been destroyed by the shelling.

On Sunday a roadside IED blast had killed an army officer and two other personnel in the mou­n­tainous Bobar area. Three personnel were injured. The deceased were identified as Lieutenant Fahad, Hawaldar Saleem and soldier Kashif. They were reportedly going to a security post when their vehicle was hit by the blast.

Sources said another roadside blast in the area hit a vehicle carrying eight security personnel on Monday. There was no report about any casualty.

Bobar is situated between South and North Waziristan agencies and is said to be a stronghold of Mahsud Taliban.

According to the sources, militants of the Sheharyar (Hakeemullah) and Khan Said alias Sajna groups have hideouts in the area. Besides, Uzbek Taliban have their training camps and compounds in Bobar.

The sources said it was for the first that security forces had acted in the area.

A Taliban commander told Dawn that roads in the region had been extensively mined before the start of negotiations between the government and the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. He criticised the government and said that on the one hand it claimed to be interested in holding talks with the Taliban and on the other its forces were advancing towards Taliban-controlled areas.